When LDSWorld.com left the
Internet, we wrote and asked for permission to put all of their hoax and myth
information up on SHIELDS.
We never received a reply. But we feel it important that their effort not
be lost and that members don't spread false rumors. In that spirit we are
going to reproduce their work (we saved it before it was gone). If the
original owners of the work object, we will remove their work. Their
intro:

There are many stories and rumors that get
distributed around the Internet. Many of them are untrue, but continue to get
wide distribution because of their sensational or speculative nature. Stories
related to the LDS Church or other "inspiring" incidents are often
quoted in Sacrament Meeting talks or lessons as if they were true, in spite of
their dubious source. Other true stories are modified in ways that dilute or
change the meaning. The purpose of this page is to document some of the untrue
stories and messages related to the LDS Church.

In general, it's a good practice to be VERY
skeptical about things you see on the Internet. Unless they are well-documented
and come from a reliable source, be inclined to doubt them - especially notes
that say "Please forward this to everyone you know!"

Pres. Harold B. Lee on gullibility and
sensationalism:
"There are some as wolves among us. By that, I mean some who
profess membership in this church who are not sparing the flock. And
among our own membership, men are arising speaking perverse things. Now
perverse means diverting from the right or correct, and being obstinate
in the wrong, willfully, in order to draw the weak and unwary members of
the Church away after them....
"I should like now to make reference to some of these. The first is
the spread of rumor and gossip (we have mentioned this before) which,
when once started, gains momentum as each telling becomes more fanciful,
until unwittingly those who wish to dwell on the sensational repeat them
in firesides, in classes, in Relief Society gatherings and priesthood
quorum classes without first verifying the source before becoming a
party to causing speculation and discussions that steal time away from
the things that would be profitable and beneficial and enlightening to
their souls....
"I would earnestly urge that no such idle gossip be spread abroad
without making certain as to whether or not it is true....
"As I say, it never ceases to amaze me how gullible some of our
Church members are in broadcasting these sensational stories, or dreams,
or visions, some alleged to have been given to Church leaders, past or
present, supposedly from some person's private diary, without first
verifying the report with proper Church authorities." (Pres. Harold
B. Lee, Ensign January 1973, p. 105)

President Boyd K. Packer, acting president of
the Quorum of the Twelve, has released the following concerning a statement he
is said to have made:
"We continue to receive reports of the distribution of a quote attributed
to me which begins, 'The youth of the Church today were generals in the war in
heaven,' and ends with the statement that when they return to heaven 'all in
attendance will bow in your presence.'
"I did not make that statement. I do not believe that statement.
"The statement, on occasion, has been attributed to others of the First
Presidency and the Twelve. None of the Brethren made that statement."
President Packer has sent a letter to mission presidents requesting their help
in clarifying this matter among missionaries and members, and has had posted
on some Internet sites carrying the statement a notice that he did not make
this declaration.

There are a number of other
"inspirational" stories being circulated by LDS members. Some of these
are very questionable in origin; some appear to be true but have been modified
or embellished extensively; others may be true but share material which is
inappropriate for a public setting like the Internet. There are plenty of true
inspiring stories we can learn from!

"Free
the Birdies" story
This is the story of a boy trapped under a garage door, written by a member in
Washington.

The original author of the account has been
contacted and the account verified; their young son did have a remarkable
experience related to the accident. The boy's father shared the story in a
talk which was copied and distributed around the Internet without the
permission and knowledge of the writer. The story has been widely modified
as it has been redistributed, and you can't rely on email copies. We also
feel it contains material that is misleading or inappropriate for this kind
of Internet distribution.

Patriarchal Blessing for Down
Syndrome child
The story of a mentally handicapped child given some very unusual promises in a
blessing, then temporarily having his handicap removed after the blessing.

Very suspicious - completely undocumented,
no information on the location or time of the events; and the doctrines the
story implies just don't make sense. Also, information given in Patriarchal
Blessings is intended to be personal and private, and not to be shared with
the world.

Japanese
missionary in South America
A missionary of Japanese ancestry was called to serve in Colombia and speak
Spanish though he desperately wanted to go to Japan. At the end of his mission
he meets a Japanese family whom he is able to teach in his native language. He
finds they have a Japanese Book of Mormon given to them by his father many years
earlier.

Nice story, but no verification - if anyone
knows about a valid source for this, please let us know. (The story
bears vague resemblance to the experiences of Masakazu Watabe, a missionary
of Japanese heritage who served a mission in Brazil.)

Japanese pilot tries to bomb
Hawaii temple
During WWII, a Japanese fighter pilot is unable to bomb the Hawaii temple, and
later joins the Church after seeing a picture of the temple.

Again, a nice story with no verification.
This one is hotly contested; many people claim they know for sure it is
true. But we have seen NO convincing documentation.